It has only been a mere two months since the commencement of Fortnite Chapter 4, Season 4, and now it is time to progress. Or… go back? It appears that when this season concludes, time will actually regress in Fortnite. The time machine we acquired from Kado Thorne’s basement during these heists is not just for display, as it turns out.
Indeed, the upcoming season of Fortnite seems to be unparalleled in various ways, potentially introducing significant collaborations with Lego or Doctor Who, and allowing us to play on an updated version of the Chapter 1 island. Let us delve into what we currently know.
When will the next Fortnite season commence?
The current Fortnite season is set to conclude at 11 PM PT / 2 AM ET on the morning of Friday, November 3. If the season transition follows the customary pattern, the new season should commence after a few hours of downtime. Expect the servers to be back online by 7 or 8am ET on the morning of November 3.
Is it the beginning of Fortnite Chapter 5?
No, the next season does not mark the start of Chapter 5. However, it may not be Chapter 4 either. This new season has long been rumored to last only a month, and it seems to be some kind of transitional season, acting as a month-long live event that will transport us from the Chapter 4 island to whatever awaits in Chapter 5.
Thus far, none of the promos for the new season have included any chapter designation, referring to it solely as Fortnite OG.
What is Fortnite OG?
Epic Games initiated the Fortnite OG hype train through out-of-game means, such as sending items to influencers and streamers who played Fortnite in the past, emphasizing the nostalgic aspect of this new season. For instance, they sent Ninja a massive Durr Burger.
According to leaks, the premise of Fortnite OG is that when the new season commences, we will primarily play on the battle royale island as it existed at the beginning of Chapter 1 Season 5. However, it will not remain the same for long. Throughout the month, the island will transform into various other iterations from Chapter 1, progressing from Season 5 to Season X.
A colossal Durr Burger that Epic Games placed in Ninja’s yard
Nevertheless, the island will not be exactly as it was back then. The addition of Zero Build during Chapter 3 necessitates some alterations, as Chapter 1 had inaccessible areas without building. Therefore, they will reportedly introduce ziplines and other means of transportation where necessary.
It had also been previously reported that certain modern conveniences introduced in Chapter 3, such as sliding, sprinting, and mantling, would be removed. However, the Fortnite social media team seems to have debunked that claim.
These changes are expected to be comprehensive, meaning that the loot pool will reflect the state of the island. During the Season 6 segment, Season 6 weapons and devices will be available, followed by Season 7 weapons and devices during the Season 7 segment, and so on.
So far, two devices that will definitely be present on the OG island have been confirmed: Ballers, the glass Jurassic World balls that allow for swift movement across the map, and airplanes.
Fortnite OG Battle pass
On Halloween Tuesday, Epic began teasing Fortnite OG by releasing pieces of the season’s key art, offering glimpses of mashups and remixes of past skins that we can expect from the Fortnite OG battle pass. The skins featured on the key art are usually from the battle pass. Two of these puzzle pieces fit together quite well, as shown below.
In this instance, we get a clear view of two skins: a new ice cream-covered Peely, a fusion of Peely and Lil Whip called Lil Split, as well as a skin that appears to be Ragnarok combined with Carbide/Omega. This is intriguing because Carbide and Omega are from Season 4, which falls outside the timeframe covered by Fortnite OG. Another skin in this image seems to be a purple version of Mecha Cuddle Master. In a separate teaser image, which reveals the return of planes during this season, we see a knight character sporting the color scheme of Raptorian the Brave, who was already a medieval reskin of the pilot skin Raptor.
That makes four skins. A typical battle pass usually contains seven skins, plus a bonus skin, so it would be surprising if they have already revealed everything. Despite the short duration of the season, more skins are expected to be unveiled throughout the week, and it is unlikely that we have seen the best ones yet.
Will Fortnite OG feature any collaborations?
Although there has been no recent talk about collaborations in Fortnite OG, two major brands were previously linked to this short season: Lego and Doctor Who.
Doctor Who is a fitting choice for a time travel-themed season, making it almost painful to imagine them not being involved. Several months ago, there were rumors of a Doctor Who mini-pass coming to Fortnite in November, although it is possible that the rumor was actually referring to Fortnite OG. However, there has been little buzz about it for a while, so it may no longer be happening.
On the other hand, the Lego collaboration is not just a rumor; it has been officially announced. Although no products from this partnership have been revealed yet, we know that it will involve a way to import real-world Lego creations into Fortnite. A Lego theme would be fitting for a season where the landscape is constantly changing, but the timing for Lego X Fortnite remains unknown.
As we gather more information, we will update this story to include the latest news, rumors, and teasers.
